The Fortinet Training Institute programs are focused on increasing access to cybersecurity training to help close the industry's skills gap. This includes enabling security professionals to upskill and expand their cyber knowledge so they can keep up with the evolving threat landscape. The Authorized Training Center (ATC) program empowers ATCs from across the globe to deliver Fortinet's industry-leading training and multi-level certifications.

A Conversation with a Fortinet Certified Trainer about Cybersecurity Training

We recently had a conversation with Jawad Safari from INSA Corporation who won the 2022 ATC Award for the Certified Trainer of the Year category in North America to talk about his experience as a trainer and how he's helping to address the cyber skills shortage.

What is your professional observation about the cyber skills gap?

Many organizations are looking to fill cybersecurity roles as it is difficult to find enough skilled professionals in the industry who can help advance security strategies. I think the cause is two-fold. One issue may be a lack of experienced trainers who have the required cybersecurity expertise. And secondly, it is difficult for professionals to keep current with industry changes. Professionals need to update their knowledge frequently, with proper training and certification, to learn new and different ways to develop and deliver a security strategy.

Why did you become a technical trainer?

The main reason was to help professionals identify their cyber skills in a real and applicable way that would help them improve performance and proficiency in their roles and help develop their careers. Many people don't know their strengths or what they are capable of. That's where training can help.

By training individuals, we are also helping to bring more professionals into the industry. I am an example of this. When I was starting out, I was very interested in IT and cybersecurity. By taking the training and certification I was able to discover my ability to transfer knowledge and understanding to others. I believe that whether I am teaching soft skills or practical subjects, it will give students the necessary tools to improve in their profession.

What value do you place on certifications?

They are extremely valuable. Nowadays most companies are hiring candidates with technical certifications. These companies seek out certified individuals because they believe that training and getting certifications assure a level of technical expertise. If you are looking to work with cybersecurity companies, certifications will demonstrate your knowledge. The Fortinet NSE certifications are particularly valuable, due to Fortinet being a leader in the industry. 

As a trainer, what do you find the most challenging in teaching Fortinet courses?

As a professional trainer, I think each course is challenging in its own way. I really enjoy getting into the content and updating my knowledge. I think teaching the enterprise firewall course, which is NSE level 7, provides a good challenge for instructors because it requires explaining everything needed to protect an enterprise network from cybersecurity attacks. You need to first explain in detail the features of the Fortinet products and operating system, and then dive deep into demos to show the students how everything works together. At the end of the course, students are required to complete a practical lab. As an instructor, I need to be able to troubleshoot any issues the students may encounter in the lab.

What do you find is the most rewarding about teaching? What is your favorite part about teaching Fortinet courses?

Fortinet courses are not just about reviewing the course material and developing the necessary skills to use the products, they are also about getting hands-on experience through the practical lab portion of the course. The lab provides students with an opportunity to apply their newly acquired skills and knowledge to a network using real-world scenarios. This is the best part for me, because I see how useful the students find this exercise and how they are able to apply what they are learning to their day-to-day tasks back in the office.

What advice would you give someone debating getting certified with Fortinet?

For anyone looking to improve their knowledge, the best way is to get certified with known brands in the industry and maintain and update them all the time. This will help continued professional growth and keep their skills sharp and up to date to help prevent attacks.

Find out more about how Fortinet's Training Advancement Agenda (TAA) and Training Institute programs-including the NSE Certification program, Academic Partner program, and Education Outreach program-are helping to solve the cyber skills gap and prepare the cybersecurity workforce of tomorrow.